Coupling-centralizing mechanism.



W. KELSO.

COUPLING CENTRALIZING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY3. 1915. 1

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Swuizutoz 12: dttmmup W. KELSO.

- COUPLING CENTRALIZING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. m5.

1,164,194, Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 sums-sum 2.

I 73 #67 J41/67-{30 Z '1 i 7" i i 1 41. E 5 5% I 5 IiB- I g WILLIAM KELSO, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONWAYY f TORLEY COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN:

SYLVANIA.

monies.-

of appliances for yieldingly maintaining a.

car coupler in a, centralized position.

The principal object of the l invention is to provide a durableand efficient centering device that'may be readily assembled and disassembled without the use} of special tools. This object, generally sftated, is'effeeted by mounting upon the-fstem of the coupler a frame carrying the yielding means by which said coupler Leis automatically restored to its normal position in the longitudinal axis of the car after it has been displaced laterally therefrom as the car passes around a curve, said frame comprising detachably connected members and involving separable parts each of which is provided with a hooked portion, said hooked portions being adapted to interlockingly engage each other to thereby prevent lateral separation of the separable frame members.

In the drawings illustrating my invention in its preferred form, Figure 1' is a plan view of a draft appliance embodying my invention, a portion of the coupler head being illustrated in section and a portion of the stem of the coupler being broken away. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the devices illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a ver tical, longitudinal section of? the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken in the planeof the line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in elev'ationof the forward end of the; mechanism, the coupler head and the pivot pin by which the head and stem are.

connected being omitted. Fig. 6 is a detail planview of the elements constituting the frame; and Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal section of the forward end of the frame and a portionof the corresponding end" of the coupler stem.-

COUPLING-CENTRALIZING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Patent d D 14 1913 Application filed July 3, 1915.

Serial No. 37,845.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the head to be connected to the railway vehicle :0

to be capable of swinging or moving laterally in either direction from its normal position in the center of .the car. For this; :purpose the stem 2 may be provided at its rear end with an aperture 4 that is adapted to receive the usual tail pinv (not shown) whereby the couplerinay be pivotally-coii nected to the railway vehicle through the yielding draft rigging devices. The stem 2 of the coupler is preferably 'of a wellknown type, being provided with an upper branch or plate 5 andja similar lower branch or plate 5, said plates being perforated at their forward ends, as at 6, to receive the pivot pin 3, Interposed between the upper and lower plates 5 is a filler member or*- spacer 'i' which is preferably secured in 'po-f' sition by means of a rivet 8' which passes through the branches ,of the stem. sucli j member? being preferably provided with lateral flanges T which serve to maintain in position the longitudinally extending spring 9 that is seated at its rear endupon said member 7. The forward end of the spring 9 bears upon the inner end of the slidable frame upon which is mounted the yielding mechanism for centralizing the coupler stern and the coupler as a whole. Through 1 such frame, which engages the coupler head 1, it serves, as will hereinafter appear. to centralize said coupler head with respect to the coupler stem-'2,

Slidably mounted between the plates or branches 5 of the coupler stem in advance of the longitudinally (extending spring 9 is a frame which carries spring cupsor followers 10 that, respectively, project outwardly: '100 in opposite directions beyond the sides of the coupler stem 2 for a sufficient distance enable them to normally engage the, carr iron, draft-sills, or other suitable stationary" Y abutments upon the car or railway vehicle" upon which the device is mounted. These spring cups are provided at their innereiids with means for engaging the slidable frame to limit their extent of separation, such means being preferably formed with flanges 11 which project in a longitudinal direction beyond the sides of the spring cups and which are adapted to engage the slidable frame. The spring cups are normally maintained in a position of maximum separation by means of a transversely extending spring 12 within which a pin or bar 13 may be loosely inserted for the purpose of preventing the spring from being compressed solid and thus being injured.

The frame upon which the spring cups or followers 10 are mounted to reciprocate transversely comprises detachably connected members 14 and 15 each of which is preferably provided with a plurality of integrally attached inwardly extending projections, the mating projections upon the respective frame members 14 and 15 being adapted to have inter-locking engagement with each other, as more particularly shown in F ig. 1. The interlocking projections upon the members 14 and 15 are preferably of such a character that some of them coiiperate to.

prevent a relative longitudinal displacement of the members 14 and 15 with respect to each other, while others cotiperate to connect said frame members laterally. For the purpose; of preventing relative longitudinal movement of the frame members 14 and 15 the member 14 is preferably provided near its forward end with inwardly extending projections 16 each of which is formed at its end with longitudinally extending vertical shoulders 17 between which is a laterally extending lug 18, the saidprojection s 16 being arranged in vertical alinement and being spaced vertically so as to receive between them a key 19 which serves as a means for transversely connecting the separable frame members 14 and 15 contiguous to the coupler head 1. The projections 20 of the frame member 15, which interlock with the projections 16of the frame member 14, are arranged in spaced relation to correspond to the'projections 16 and each is formed at its extremity with a recess or socket 21 which is preferably of tapering form, and which isadapted to receive the correspondingly tapered lug 18 upon the mating pro ection 16 of the opposed frame member. Each projection 20 is also provided with long tudinally extending vertical faces 22 that respectively engage the corresponding faces or shoulders 17 of the mating projection 16 when the frame members are brought into assembled relation. As more particularly shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, each of the projections 16 is preferably provided intermediate of its length with a longitudinally? extending vertical shoulder 23, and each of said projections is also preferably fashioned with a transversely extending face or shoulder 25. Each of the projections 20 upon the frame member 15 is similarly fashioned with shoulders or pro ections 24 and 26 which correspond, respectively, in form and function to the shoulders 23 and 25 of the projections 16. When the longitudinally movable headed key 19 is in assembled position its shoulders 27 engage the corresponding faces or shoulders 23 and 24 upon the interlocking projections of the members 14 and 15, respectively, the separable frame members being thus detachably connected at their forward ends in such manner that the key 19 may be first removed before such frame members may be separated. The shoulders 25 and 26 upon the frame members are adapted, when the parts are assembled, to engage the rear face of the key or link 19 to thus serve as stops for limiting the inward movement of said key. As will be readily understood, the pivot pin 3 by which the coupler head 1 is connected tothe stem 2 retains the key 19 in assembled position when the mechanism is in service.

Adjacent to the projections 16 and 20 of the separable frame members 14 and 15, respectively, and preferably on a level with the spaces between said projections, each of said frame members may be conveniently provided with an aperture 28, these apertures being in transverse alinement when the parts are in assembled position. The purpose of these openings 28 is to permit a bar or the like to be inserted into the slidable frame so as to force the key 19 forwardly when it is desired to disassemble the parts, To render this operation the more convenient the inner face of the detachable key 19 is preferably fashioned with a centrally disposed rearwardly extending projection or log 29 which is in alinement with the openings 28 in the separable frame members.

The interlocking projections by which the frame members '14 and 15 are connected laterally are preferably of hook-like form and extend between the upper and lower plates or branches 5 of the coupler stem. The projection 30 on the frame member 14 may, and preferably does, form a seat for the forward end of the longitudinally extending spring 9. The mating hook-like projection 31 on the frame memberj15 has overlapping engagement with the projection 30, the interlocking faces of said projections being preferably inclined, as indicated at 32 and 33, respectively. \Vhen the faces 32 and 33 of the hook members are inclined the length of the projections 30 and 31 should be such as to permit the frame members 14 and 15 to move toward each other a sufficient distance. to permit the said hooked members to disengage by a longitudinal movementof one. With respect to the other after the key 19 has been removed and the'forward ends of the frame members separated enough. to withdraw the lugs 18 of the projections'16'from the corresponding sockets 21 in the projec-- memes the frame membersis preferably provided Wlth inwardly projecting, longitudinally extending, flanges 34 and 35, respectively, which'not only-afford extended bearing and guiding surfaces for the upper and lower facesof the spring cups or followers 10, but

v'hich. also serve to retain the separable frame members'in proper vertical relation with-the branches or arms 5 of the coupler stem: 2, while permitting the frame to slide or reciprocate freely in a longitudinal direction between said arms. To prevent lateral displacement of the'slidable frame with res'peetto the coupler stem, the side walls of each'of the frame members 14: and 15 are preferably'extended vertically for a sufficient distance to. have overlapping engage ment with the outer lateral faces or edges of the plates or arlns, as particularly indicated arse- 1s Fig. "5. Adjacent to the lat eral edges of the apertures in the frame members through which the spring cups 10 project, each frame member is formed with vertically extending shoulders 37 which are adapted to engage the flanges 11 at the bases of the respective spring cups to thereby limit the extent of separation of said spring cu s.

The forward ends of the frame members 14 and 15 extend into a forwardly contracting pocket 38 in the coupler head 1, and when in normal position, respectively, en-

" gage corresponding vertically extending shoulders 39 on said coupler head; It. Wlll be seen that the coupler head itself thus serves to prevent the outer ends of the frame members 14: and 15 from separating laterall The mode of operation of the device is as follows: When the coupler stem 2 is displaced laterally from its normal position in the longitudinal axis of the car, one orthe other of the spring cups or followers 10 moves coextensively therewith, being com- 1 pelled' so to move by reason of the engagement of its flanges 11 with the corresponding stop shoulders 37 upon the adjacent frame member. The other spring box 10 during this time is prevented from retreating as it is in engagement with the carry-iron, draftsill or other portion of the car forming a stationary abutment. The spring cups 10 thus approach each other and the transversely extending spring 12, which is interposed between thein, is thus compressed. The subsequent expansion of the spring 12 returns the spring cup 10 which has been displaced to normal position, thus also returning the stem 2 of the coupler to a centralized position; When the coupler head 1 rotates upon the pivot pin 3 with respect to the coupler stem, one or the other of the shoulders on the coupler head, depending upon the direction in which the head moves, acts upon the contacting end of one of the interlocked separable frame members, thus causing. the entire frame to execilte arearward sliding movement upon the coupler stem 2. As the longitudinally extending spring 9 is seated upon the member 30 of the slidable frame, such spring is thereby compressed. lVhen the force causing the rotation of the coupler head from its normal position ceases to act the spring 9 is permitted to expand, thus causing the slidable frame to move forwardly on the couplerstem and thereby restoring the coupler head to its central position with respect to the stem 2.

lVhile certain features of my invention are especially advantageous when combined with yielding means for centering the coupler of the character illustrated in .the.

drawings, yet as will be appreciated from the claims there arecertain novel combinawhich are entirely applicable to coupler centralizing devices of other forms.

I claim:

1". The combination with a car coupler having a head and stem, of a frame mounted upon said stem, and yielding means carried by said frame for centralizing said coupler, said frame involving separable members each of which is provided on its inner face with a projection, such projections being adapted to engage each other to constitute means for connecting said separable frame members laterally.

2. The combination with a car coupler having a head and'stem, of a frame mounted upon said stem, and yielding means carried:

by said frame for centralizing said coupler,

said, frame involving separable members each of which is provided with a hook, said hooks being adapted to interl-tlckingly engage each other.

3. The combination with a car coupler having a head and a stem, of a frame mounted upon said stem, and yielding means carried by said frame for centralizing said coupler, said frame involving separable members each of which is provided with a plurality of projections, the projections on one of said frame members being adapted to respectively engage and interlock with the mating projections on the other of said frame members, and some of said projections being disengageable upon movement in one direction and'other of said projections being disengageable upon movement in a each of which is provided with a hook, the said hooks when in assembled relation being arranged one in'advance of the'other in interlocking engagement and constituting means for connecting said separable frame members laterally.

5. The combination with a car coupler having a stem and a head removably mount- ;ed thereon, of a frame mounted upon said stem, and yielding means carried by said frame for centralizing said coupler, said frame involving separable members and means adjacent to the coupler head for connecting said separable members, said consaid stem, said; frame involving separable members, yielding means carried by said frame for centralizing said stem, and means for connecting said separable frame members, said last'named means being maintained inassembled position by the means for connecting the coupler head and stem.

7. The combination with a coupler having a head and stem, of a frame mounted upon said stem, and yielding means mounted upon and projecting through said -frame for centralizing said coupler, said frame involving separable members and means for connecting the same, each of said separable members having a plurality of projections one of which is a hooked projection, the hooked projections on the respective members being adapted to have interlocking engagement, and the other said projections be-' ing also adapted to respectively engage each other, and said meansfor connecting said. separable frame members being spaced from said hooked projections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM KELSO. 

